Kapitel 17: Water God Reida Reia
Continent Central, Kingdom of Asura.
In the grand palace of Asura, a towering structure showcasing the immense power of the Asura kingdom.
The normally tranquil and solemn palace is engulfed in war today, soldiers from two different factions clash in a battle that will decide which faction takes power.
Blood flows, and soldiers perish, the war is cruel and unforgiving, whether you're a commoner or noble, in this place, all shed their blood.
Nobles and commoners fall alike, the harsh battle entering a relentless stage.
Inside one of the many chambers, several individuals move swiftly, gathering information and issuing orders.
Suddenly, the door bursts open, and two women enter the room. One is a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, clad in armor, while the other is an elven woman with white hair and ruby eyes, adorned in light mage armor protecting vital points.
"Sylphie, how is Lady Riveria?" A weary Ariel asked Sylphie, different from her usual attire, today she wears light armor on her body, and blood stains her sword and armor, indicating that she not only observed her soldiers from afar but also joined the battle.
"Ariel-sama, Lady Riveria and the rest of the Rozzo family lured the Water God away from the city to prevent damage during their confrontation. They're probably already engaged, the outcome is uncertain," Sylphie said with some concern in her voice.
"Sighh... In the end, victory hinges on their battle. May the gods bless them, well, I suppose they have their own god," Ariel sighed and prayed to any deity that would listen.
Reality once again reminds her of the importance of strength in this world. Even if they win here, if they fail to defeat the Water God, she could single-handedly suppress their faction.
"Do not worry, Ariel-sama, my mistress is very strong, surely she will prevail. We've come this far, we must give it our all!" Sylphie encouraged Ariel.
"Hehe, as you say, Sylphie. We've come this far, even if we lose, I have no regrets," Ariel said with a determined smile.
In all her life, Ariel led an empty existence for the most part without reason or purpose. She had neither a mother to give her affection nor a father to give her importance, living her life with countless murders to her name.
Until one day, her first desire or goal in life was born. She wanted to take the throne; she wanted to be Queen. An obsession arose and guided her life to this point. So even if she loses and dies now, she will be satisfied for having been able to fight.
"Ariel-sama, enemy troops are advancing toward the king's throne," a woman approached and urgently informed Ariel.
"Let's go, Sylphie. We have a battle to win," Ariel raised her sword and marched toward the battlefield.
"Yes, Ariel-sama."
...
(This will be the first long battle I write, so please be patient. If you don't like it, keep in mind that I'll improve over time.)
On a mountain about 50 kilometers from the capital city of the Asura kingdom, a battle rages that shakes the mountain.
"Mana Burst," a gruff voice sounded, and a beautiful elf shot forward with a fierce expression toward an elderly woman with white hair.
Reida Reia, better known as the Water God, at this moment, unlike her usual majesty, bears multiple wounds on her body and looks exhausted.
~PAM~
Blocking Elinalise's attack, Reida was sent flying several meters before she could crash into the mountain. A woman with semi-human black skin appeared behind her and delivered a powerful slash.
~CRASH~
Blocking the attack once again, this time she was directed toward the ground, hitting it hard, her body emitting a cracking sound.
Quickly getting up, ignoring the pain, Reida rose again and returned to a defensive stance.
"Hehe, *Huff* you're falling apart, old hag," Elinalise smirked.
"You don't look too good either, elf," Reida said in a monotone voice.
Elinalise, who also had multiple cuts on her body, looked much more exhausted than Reida. One of her arms also hung limp, suggesting it was broken.
"Your arm seems to be giving out," Reida said with some malice in her tone.
"Huff, worry about yourself, old hag," said Elinalise.
Using "Mana Burst" not only has a mana cost but also imposes a strain on her body. After all, the body is not accustomed to withstand such violent mana flowing through it.
After using it several times, her right arm is almost broken, and she probably won't be able to endure the next burst.
"Ghislaine! You'll have to switch with Elinalise. Talhand, I know you're badly injured, but I need you to assist Ghislaine. Eris, stay close, but if you see they can't hold, go help." From a higher vantage point, a severely wounded Riveria shouted orders. "Prepare another spell, just keep her occupied for another 3 minutes."
"Understood, Captain!"
"Got it."
"Crystal clear, Riveria-chan."
Talhand, who was recovering from his injuries, mustered the strength to rise. As a tank, he had taken the most damage from Reida, but thanks to his colossal endurance, he could still fight on.
Ghislaine, who appeared to be in the best shape, got up. Her previous role as a damage dealer consisted of attacking when the target couldn't defend themselves, inflicting maximum damage possible.
Taking up Elinalise's previous position, Ghislaine maxed out her aura; her level was lower than Elinalise's, so it would be more difficult for her to withstand.
Elinalise took Ghislaine's former position and began allowing her mana to circulate normally to recover for another strong strike.
~VOSSHH~
Without giving them time to fully recover, Reida attacked the person who posed the greatest threat, charging toward Riveria at astonishing speed, preparing for a lethal strike.
~PAM~
Before she could land the blow, a red blur appeared in her vision, and using all the force in her body, she blocked the attack.
Enraged, Reida, who had been pushed back slightly with her left arm, delivered a powerful punch to Eris's solar plexus.
Eris, who took the strong blow, had her vision blurred and nearly blacked out. However, biting her lip hard, she forced herself awake.
~KACHA~
Regaining consciousness, Eris moved her mouth and fiercely bit Reida's left arm.
"You damn bastard, do you think you're a dog?" Reida gritted her teeth in pain, grabbing her sword with her right hand, she swung it forcefully toward Eris's head.
Feeling the danger, Eris tried to break free, but before she could, Reida, with her free left hand, grabbed Eris's neck and squeezed tightly.
Being choked and with a sword heading toward her head, desperation filled Eris's eyes. 'Am I going to die here?! No... Rudeus.'
~VOSSHH~
However, before Reida could sever Eris's head, she had to abandon the swing and jump to block the two strikes aimed at her head and chest.
"*Cough* *Cough*," coughing violently on the ground, Eris tried to catch her breath in her lungs.
"Eris, are you okay?" Ghislaine asked with concern.
"*Cough* I'm fine, Ghislaine, just catching my breath," Eris said as she struggled to get up.
"Alright, let's go again," Elinalise, as vice-captain, called out the formation once more.
"You're really annoying," Reida said with a furrowed brow, unable to reach the mage. She cannot let her release that magic; she senses a fatal feeling from it.
"We have 1 minute left, and Riveria will cast it," Elinalise said as she launched a strike at Reida.
~PAM~
Blocking the blow, Reida had to quickly turn her body to block the dwarf's axe.
Suddenly, as she fell to the ground, Reida's eyes widened as she saw the dwarf's axe not aimed at her but at the ground. 'Crap.'
"Earthquake!!" The dwarf shouted loudly.
Soon, the ground within a hundred-meter radius shattered into pieces.
Reida, who had just touched the ground, was sent flying by the vibrations. Left unprotected in the air, Reida prepared to take a hit.
~VOSSHH~
And Reida was right, because the next moment, Elinalise lunged at her with a killing intent aimed at her heart.
~PAM~
Using all her strength to move her sword in time, Reida managed to push the sword to the right, seeing the sword almost out of range of her body, Reida gave Elinalise a disdainful smile.
However, upon seeing Elinalise's face, what she noticed was a mocking smile. Having a bad feeling, Reida tried harder to push the sword out of range of her body, but before the sword could be fully pushed away, she heard some words.
"Mana Burst." A violent mana burst enveloped the sword, but this time, instead of staying in the sword, it shot out of it.
~BAM~ ~BOOM~
Receiving the violent energy ball directly in her chest, Reida spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed into a large rock behind her.
~Ergk-splat~
Before Reida could get up, an extreme danger filled her body. Rising with all her might, she heard a mage's chant.
"Destroy everything in your path until it turns into ashes at once! Advanced Victory Sword——"
Seeing the enormous column of fire heading towards her, without hesitation, she used her strongest move.
[Deprivation Sword Kingdom]
A massive slash erupted from Reida's sword, crashing against Riveria's magic.
~BOOM~
The huge column of flames covered the area where Reida was.
"Is she dead?" Eris asked.
"I don't think she survived that," Talhand said confidently.
"Riveria-chan is still so terrifying," Elinalise said with eyes full of admiration.
Ghislaine said nothing, just stared fixedly at the explosion.
"Don't get complacent, stay alert. I felt like my magic didn't hit her completely," Riveria said cautiously.
Upon hearing Riveria's words, everyone raised their defenses again.
Shortly afterward, the smoke and fire dissipated, revealing the completely destroyed area.
"She's really still alive, her vitality is indeed tenacious," Elinalise said in amazement. Riveria's magic is capable of jumping levels, so this magic must have been comparable to a level 6 maximum attack.
"She's almost dead, let's all attack now," Ghislaine signaled.
Reida, who was kneeling at the bottom of the crater, had many burns on her body, and one of her legs was almost blown to pieces. Her vitality was dwindling.
"Let's finish this," Talhand said as he gripped his axe and prepared to deliver the final blow.
Aiming for Reida's head, Talhand lunged with immense force.
~VOSSHHH~
Without warning, a huge slash headed for Talhand's chest, leaving a massive cut from his right shoulder to his hip.
" TALHAND " x2
Elinalise and Riveria shouted in concern.
"What a tough body... My plan was to cut him in two, but I couldn't even penetrate his ribs," an eccentric voice sounded on the battlefield.
A man with white hair and blood-red eyes, wearing colorful clothes and streaks of color, appeared seemingly disappointed.
At this moment, that man held Reida's body near the edge of the mountain cliff.
"Oh, I would really love to fight you guys, but I guess you'll probably die haha, so maybe another day," the man laughed as he prepared to escape.
"It was nice meeting you, strangers, my name is Auber Corvette, also known as the 'Peacock Sword.' See you another time hehe," jumping off the cliff, Auber ran away from the mountain.
"Riveria, he's getting away!!" Elinalise shouted in anger, while holding the wounded Talhand.
"Oh no, he won't, Elinalise, I entrust you to carry me back to the castle," Riveria said as she took out the orb from her scepter and charged a golden orb emitting divinity.
"It was a lovely gift from my God, now I'll let you taste my most powerful 'empowered' magic."
Mobilizing all the mana in her body into the scepter, Riveria felt dizzy for a while, then gripping it firmly, she chanted.
"Oh, bless me supreme God of light, to bring enlightenment to your enemies, let me burn them with your sacred warmth, reflect your light on my heart and soul, and allow me to judge their sins..."
Singing the magic chant, the previously somewhat cloudy sky shone, Riveria's enormous amount of mana, which before reaching level 6 had reached the terrifying "SSS," concentrated inside the orb.
Coming into contact with the divine energy droplet held by the orb, a glow that seemed to extend for kilometers burst out of her scepter, then converging back into her scepter into a small but terrifying yellow energy ball, Riveria sang the final word.
"DISINTEGRATION!!"
A huge pillar of light shot out from Riveria's scepter, pointing towards where Auber had gone, the pillar of light encountered several mountains, disintegrating them as if they were nothing more than butter. (Imagine the pillar of light Goetia shot at Mash, but in yellow)
Auber, who thought he had already escaped, turned around and saw the enormous pillar of light heading towards him. Putting on an ironic smile, he said before being erased along with Reida.
"Ah, if I had known the job was this difficult, I should have charged more."
Meanwhile, Elinalise, Talhand, Ghislaine, and Eris had their mouths so wide open they could fit their hand in.
"Damn it, remind me never to anger the captain, or I'll end up being disintegrated," Elinalise said.
The rest of the Rozzo family nodded, with persistent fears, especially Eris, who tends to anger Riveria with her attitude, now promised to listen to her in everything she says.
"Oh, Captain!!" Elinalise, who saw Riveria on the ground, carefully left Talhand on the ground and ran to pick up her captain.
Taking her under the shoulders, Elinalise supported her.
Riveria, still feeling dizzy and confused due to the almost zero mana, looked around and said, "Elinalise, how are Talhand's wounds?"
"Don't worry, captain, the sword didn't cut any vital organs, and the cut is only superficial," Elinalise reassured her captain.
"I see. Talhand! Hang in there while I recover mana, and then I'll cast a healing spell," Riveria shouted to Talhand.
"Don't worry, captain, I've had worse injuries than these," Talhand said calmly.
"Sighh... Well, let's go, we need to see how the battle at the castle ended and also collect our reward," although still somewhat worried, Riveria gave orders to head to Asura Castle.
Ghislaine, taking Talhand by the shoulder and supporting him, walked towards Riveria.
"By the way, Riveria-sama, what do we do with the bait?" Eris asked, pointing to a man who was hanging from a rock on the mountain, after the tremor seemed to shake him off the rock and he fell to the ground.
This man is the respected and feared Darius Silva, the reason he is here is simple. After investigating a way to lure Reida out of the capital, they found the best way.
According to the information they gathered, Darius Silva in the past, saved Reida from dying, which made her fall in love with him, although over time when she met Darius, the love faded away.
Still, he remains her first love and the man who saved her, so Reida owes him a lot.
So they kidnapped him and brought him here, then sent a letter to Reida that if she didn't come, Darius would die.
It was quite simple.
Riveria frowned after looking at him carefully, a cold expression appeared on her face and she said, "Kill him, he's a man with many sins, he doesn't deserve to live."
Riveria had gathered information about the trash that is Darius, so she has no compassion for the man.
Many of her elven compatriots were enslaved and used until they lost their lives, although Riveria is not the Elven Princess in this world, still as a High Elf.
She has a certain responsibility for the well-being of her compatriots.
"Understood, Riveria-sama," Eris approached with an indifferent expression and with her sword, made a direct cut to the heart, the unconscious Darius didn't even know how he died.
Having everything ready, they all headed to Rozzo Castle, eager to finish the mission and return home.
Leaving behind a huge chasm that cuts through dozens of mountains, the way the previous pillar penetrated the mountains, seemed to leave a circle resembling an eye, thanks to that in later generations, this place will be called.
The Devil's Eye.
...
Asura Palace, the previously beautiful castle, today is covered in fire and blood.
Many bodies are on the ground, and the scene of a war is vividly displayed.
"Did you find out where that light came from?" An Ariel, covered in blood with a broken armor, asked her subordinates.
"Ariel-sama, according to our reports, it should have come from the battle between the Water God and the people she hired," a brown-haired, blue-eyed man reported to Ariel.
Ariel frowned; the battle had reached that level, which likely meant it had already ended.
"Luke, have your subordinates brought any information?" Ariel asked her second most loyal subordinate, Luke Notos Grayrat.
An expression of shame appeared on Luke's face. "I'm sorry, my lady. The mana pressure and the height of the mountain made my subordinates afraid to climb up."
Ariel's face turned slightly bitter, but in the end, she said nothing.
Her level of nervousness had reached its peak; the battle at the castle had ended with their victory.
Therefore, if the Rozzo family managed to defeat Reida Reia, then she would have officially won.
The only thing stopping her from biting her nails with nervousness was her long and rigid noble education.
~BAM~
Suddenly, the doors opened, and a white-haired elf with ruby eyes ran in.
"Sylphie, I've told you not to come in like that," Luke, who had taken a combat stance, reprimanded Sylphie.
"Oh, sorry," Sylphie apologized sheepishly.
"Sylphie! Do you bring information?" Ariel, not concerned at all about Sylphie's manners, asked eagerly.
Sylphie, upon hearing Ariel's question, with a bright smile said, "Ariel-sama, my teacher and the Rozzo family have arrived."
"They're here! Did they win!?" Ariel stood up abruptly, taking Sylphie by her shoulders and asked eagerly.
"W-well, Ariel-sama, I couldn't ask, but I suppose if they've arrived, it must mean their victory," Sylphie said nervously. When she saw her teacher, all she did was hug her and ask how she was, and then she ran to report, not asking about the battle's outcome at all.
"Let's go!" Without wasting time, Ariel walked towards the Rozzo family.
Sylphie and Luke quickly followed Ariel.
Walking through several luxuriously decorated hallways, the scene would be noble if it weren't for the blood and bodies strewn across the halls.
Unfazed by the bloody scene, Ariel, Sylphie, and Luke entered the room where the Rozzo family was.
Opening the door and seeing the scene inside, they assessed the family's condition.
Talhand the dwarf had a bandage covering his entire torso; the wound he had no longer bled, indicating it had already been treated. He was now lying carelessly on one of the sofas.
Elinalise also had several bandages on her body, and there was a splint tied with ropes on her arm; she was also sprawled on the other sofa.
Eris and Ghislaine were sitting comfortably in the room; their wounds had also been treated.
And Riveria sat majestically on the main sofa; her appearance had returned to normal, except for her somewhat dirty and torn robe. She didn't seem to have just fought a battle against a god-level power before.
"Riveria-sama," Ariel bowed.
Giving Ariel a glance, Riveria said, "You're a queen now, no need to bow casually."
A bright smile appeared on Ariel's face, understanding the meaning behind Riveria's words. "Congratulations on your victory, Riveria-sama, and the Rozzo family."
"I also congratulate you on your victory. Should I now call you the Queen of Asura?" Riveria raised an eyebrow and asked.
"Hehe, with our relationship, there's no need for such silly formalities," Ariel said with a smile.
"Our relationship? I understand that we are simple mercenaries, and our relationship is purely commercial," Riveria didn't let Ariel fool her, clearly drawing the line in their relationship.
Indeed, a slight expression of disappointment crossed Ariel-sama's face, but she quickly recovered. "And the services provided by the Rozzo family are undoubtedly excellent. Every time I have the opportunity, I will recommend you."
Riveria shook her head. "There's no need for that. Our family is not a mercenary group; we made an exception with you."
"I understand, Riveria-sama," Ariel nodded in relief; having such a strong group of mercenaries wandering around would make her nights more difficult to sleep.
"Now, let's talk about my payment," Riveria got straight to the point; she was eager to return to her god. Only now did she realize how much she could miss someone.
"Of course, Riveria-sama. As promised, whatever reward you desire, I will do everything in my power to fulfill it," Ariel nodded; she didn't intend nor have the qualifications to back out now.
"Alright, I have two requests. I'll warn you beforehand that they are non-negotiable, so they cannot be refused," Riveria's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Understood, Riveria-sama," Ariel nodded nervously; she could only hope that, considering their relationship with Sylphie, they wouldn't ask for too much.
"First... I want you to sever your master/subordinate relationship with Sylphie," Riveria said firmly.
"Master!" Before Ariel could speak, Sylphie looked at her mistress in disbelief.
"Sylphie, you are my disciple, as such, the heiress to my legacy, so I cannot allow my disciple to be subordinate to anyone else. That would mean that the future lineage of the Ljos Alf mages will be subordinate to Asura," Riveria would never allow her legacy to fall under Asura's control.
For a mage, one of the most important things is their Magical legacy; it contains all their magical knowledge and also all their wisdom accumulated over their lifetime. Although Riveria won't die soon, as an High Elf, her standard lifespan is over 3000 years, and she's not even 100 yet, but as an adventurer, one must be prepared for anything.
That's why it's important to make everything clear from the beginning. ' Besides, if everything goes well, when we're on our way home, I'll convince Sylphie to join the family, so it's even more important to sever Sylphie's master/subordinate relationship with Ariel. '
As a member of the Rozzo family, her loyalty must lie solely with her God; being loyal to two people is not allowed.
Sylphie remained silent as she lightly bit her lips; she understood her master's request, but finding it really hard to sever that relationship.
"This is acceptable," with a heavy heart, Ariel said. Losing her only friend would undoubtedly be tough for her, but it's the only thing she can do to ensure both she and Sylphie are well.
"Ariel-sama," Sylphie looked at Ariel with sadness.
"Now, I'm just Queen Ariel Sylphie," Ariel also gave a sad smile to Sylphie.
"Why are you making such a fuss? I said to sever your master/subordinate relationship, I never said to sever your relationship altogether. You can still be friends without any problem," Riveria shook her head at the scene, almost getting up to give them the award for the best drama.
"What?" x2
Upon hearing Riveria's words, expressions of embarrassment appeared on Sylphie and Ariel's faces.
"Hahaha, this feels like a romantic comedy," the otaku Elinalise laughed from behind; she really liked this Yuri-themed story.
"I see, sorry for misunderstanding, Riveria-sama, I am willing to sever the master/subordinate relationship with Sylphie," Ariel accepted Riveria's request much more relievedly.
"Umu, good, with that, the first request is settled; the second one is simpler. I want all the wealth accumulated by the Prime Minister Darius Silva and Reida Reia," Riveria, after thinking about how to get the most money out of this deal, came up with this solution; the wealth of both must be enormous.
With that amount of money, she can build a grand mansion in Orario and also buy enough equipment for Talhand to forge more weapons.
"I accept," she can't refuse; besides, it's not much of a loss, most likely Darius Silva's wealth will be distributed among greedy nobles, although she would get a part, giving it up isn't so important.
"Alright, then with that, I consider any debts between you and me settled," Riveria said as she stood up from the sofa and extended her hand to Ariel.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you," Ariel shook Riveria's hand gratefully; her dream came true, and a large part of that is owed to the elf in front of her.
"I'll rest for about 2 days while I collect the money as well, and then I'll leave. I wish you good luck as the future queen," Riveria said.
"You can rest for as long as you want; thank you for the blessings," Ariel smiled.
"Sylphie, you have two days to say goodbye to Ariel; then we'll return to Ranoa," Riveria told Sylphie.
"Understood, master," Sylphie nodded solemnly.
Leaving the room, Ariel, Luke, and Sylphie, the room fell silent again for a while until an excited shout broke the silence.
"THE ROZZO FAMILY IS RICH!!!" Elinalise shouted from her sofa; if it weren't for her whole body hurting, she would get up and dance.
"Ummm, I hope to buy many materials with that money. I can't wait to know what kinds of materials are in Orario," the dwarf Talhand said eagerly.
Ghislaine and Eris, on the other hand, didn't express any admiration; Ghislaine doesn't care about money, and Eris, as she is not yet a member of the Rozzo family, has no right to the money.
"Alright, calm down, Ghislaine, Eris, can you please go raid Darius's house? Look, here are some scrolls made by me; each one has a space of 50 cubic meters," Riveria's spatial magic research finally bore fruit, and now she can make these scrolls.
Taking the 5 scrolls, Ghislaine nodded, "Don't worry, captain, I'll pick up every last gold coin."
Leaving the room, Ghislaine and Eris headed to raid.
"Alright, we have two days to rest, and then we'll immediately return to Ranoa," Riveria said eagerly.
"Hehe, Riveria-chan misses Kami-sama, huh?" Elinalise did her favorite activity, teasing Riveria.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"Hehe, Riveria and Kami-sama are in love, hehe."
"Shut up!"
"How many children have you thought of having, Riveria-chan? Will they call me aunt?"
"I told you to shut up *PAM*"
"Ahhh, my arm, Riveria-chan, it hurts!"
"Hmph, serves you right."
...
City of Ranoa.
At the Kaylon family house, on the terrace, two men could be seen.
Paul and Kaylon, reminiscing about old times, both sitting with a cigarette in their mouths.
Suddenly, a smile appeared on Kaylon's face.
"What's with that disgusting smile?" Paul asked, shuddering.
"Riveria is coming this way," Kaylon, who had received a message via a scroll, smiled.
"Uh, Riveria-san is coming here?" Paul became somewhat nervous; after all, he never got along with the elf.
"Hehe, don't worry, Paul, you've changed a lot, although you're still a pervert, at least you're a tolerable one," Kaylon reassured Paul.
"Thanks for the compliment, but if you could leave out the part about being a pervert, I'd feel better," Paul said with an ironic smile.
"Yeah, yeah... Come on, let's go inside, we need to prepare a welcome party," Kaylon walked towards the house, ready to prepare a crazy party.
"Tsk, it was so peaceful here."
"Shut up and come down."
...
On the outskirts of the city of Ranoa.
A young man with light brown hair and green eyes could be seen; he wore a gray tunic that covered his body.
The boy admired the city of Ranoa from afar, then walking towards the city, he prepared himself to fulfill the objectives he set.
"Huff, I finally made it. Well, don't worry buddy, I'll find a cure for you soon," speaking to the lower part of his body, the young man approached the magical university of Ranoa with determination.
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Well, that's it for today's chapter... Getting closer and closer to the end of the Mushoku arc, just waiting for the Grayrat family to join the Rozzo family, and a few more touches and we're done.
Thanks for the support!!!! Remember to follow my profile so you don't miss my future novels, also remember to collect the work to not miss any chapters.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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